1. Statement of the Technical Field
The inventive arrangements concern secure processing systems, and more particularly apparatus for providing authentication and access control to secure processing systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Users of secure processing systems are increasingly demanding improved methods for ensuring authentication of users and controlled access to secure systems. Presently, a variety of systems exist for enabling or accessing secure processing systems based on user identification. For example, some systems rely on user passwords for security. Other systems currently in use include biometric scanning, crypto ignition keys (CIK), and common access control (CAC) cards. Still other systems require that cryptographic keys be inserted into a host system in order for the system to send, receive and process secure information. However, it will be appreciated that there are limits to the level of security that each of the foregoing techniques can achieve on its own.
Further, many conventional systems used for authentication of users and for controlling access to secure processing systems generally require physical contact with an information processing system. For example, such physical contact can include card readers or biometric scanners that are wired to the processing system, or an electrical cable that is used to insert a CIK. Moreover, conventional systems usually rely on single mode of access control. For example, a conventional CAC card is used for common access control to a facility, but does not provide biometric scanning. Similarly, conventional biometric scanning devices identify an individual, but do not combine such features with the benefit of a functional CIK.